MerrinDonahue.com

Excited enough to read Hemingway. There are two American authors that I simply can’t stand: Faulkner and Hemingway. Reading Faulkner is like watching paint dry, and Hemingway’s ego consistently gets in the way of his writing. It’s no secret that I think that “The Old Man and the Sea” is one of the most overrated books of the 20th century.
Our safari company has provided us with a suggested reading list for our upcoming trip, and while I’ve read a few of the books on there, I hadn’t read “Green Hills of Africa” (because, helllloooo? It’s Hemingway), but I needed something to read on the Kindle today while I got my nails done. I managed to plow through about half of it in the two hours I was getting manicured, pedicured, and waxed, and I have to say, my initial impressions hold firm. Hemingway has a HUGE ego, and so far most of the book is his obnoxious whining about almost everything (his wife’s feet hurt, the other guy shot a bigger rhino, it’s hot….blah blah blah). Once you get past that, however, there are flashes of poetry in the descriptions of landscapes and the native people of Kenya.
Because I have a hard and fast rule that once I start a book I have to finish it, I’ll slog through the second half of this one. I wish I had bought a hard copy, though; not because I think it would make an invaluable addition to my library, but because of those one or two brilliant lines I’d like to underline and revisit. Bottom line? Unless you’re a die-hard Hemingway fan or you’re planning a trip to Kenya, skip this one. Read “Out of Africa” instead.